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Neha wants to be the girl-next-door
The former glam doll craves for a new identity.
After Kyaa Kool Hai Hum, Neha Dhupia once again attempts to tickle the funny bone with Priyadarshan’s Chup Chup Ke. This time she has Shahid Kapur, Suniel Shetty and Kareena Kapoor for company.
Excerpts from a chat:
Your role in Chup Chup Keis quite unli
ke your image…
True. But the best part of being an actor is that you get to play a dentist one day, a wife one day, a rich man’s daughter one day and a beggar the next day. I went through this supposedly sexy phase. Now I am doing roles with more meat than meets the eye.
What kind of comedy is Chup Chup Ke?
It is love-meets-confusion-meets-love and I am the confusion. The film’s an out-and-out Priyadarshan comedy.
Neha Dhupia does all the talking in Chup Chup Ke, doesn’t she?
I play Meenakshi, Kareena’s cousin who is like her best friend. I do all the talking on her behalf as she plays a mute character in the film and I play the chirpy talkative one. There’s a cute balance between us.
You tasted success with KKHH but Chup Chup Ke is a different film altogether in terms of presentation…
Priyadarshan is known to make family comedies. Kyaa Kool... was obviously not a family comedy. So there can’t be any comparison between the two.
Did you feel overshadowed by Kareena?
Not at all. Kareena and I got along very well. She came across as a wonderful human being. We are good friends. Feeling overshadowed was out of question. It’s a team effort. The best part about Chup Chup Ke is that it’s not a Kareena-Shahid film. We all have a decent part to play.
Kareena says it was a difficult role to portray for her…
Playing a mute girl for the first time is not very usual or easy. But Kareena is highly professional and extremely hard working. So, I guess that’s all that counts at the end of the day and you have won half the battle. She has done a very good job in the film.
You also have Utthan. Is it Jessica’s story?
I play an ambitious model who is in the middle of choosing between love and career. But, right now, I am not in a position to reveal any more details about the film as it is a sensitive issue.
Have you got rid of the sex-bomb tag?
I am doing all different genres of films and not restricting myself to any particular one that signifies me as a sex bomb. Maybe in a short span of time you will call me the girl next door.
What are your forthcoming releases and the one you are looking forward to the most?
I have 1:40 Ki Last Local. It’s about these two strangers — Abhay Deol and me. Then I have Delhii Heights.
